The hidden driver of global warming: How does methane affect our climate?

As the issue of global warming becomes increasingly serious, many people focus on carbon dioxide, but few people know that the impact of methane, a colorless and odorless gas, on climate change cannot be underestimated. According to the report, methane concentrations in Earth's atmosphere have increased by about 160% since 1750. Behind this staggering number lies how methane is an invisible driver of climate change.

One of the drivers of climate change is the release of methane, which has 30 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

Methane (CH4) is the simplest hydrocarbon compound, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. As the main component of natural gas, methane is not only widely used in industry, but also commonly found in nature. Emissions come from a variety of activities, including agriculture, energy extraction and animal emissions.

Methane effectively absorbs infrared radiation in the Earth's atmosphere, a property that makes it an important greenhouse gas. According to the 2021 report, methane contributes 20% to the radiative forcing of all long-lived, globally mixed greenhouse gases. This means that even a small amount of methane release can have a significant impact on the global climate.

Rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions can limit near-term global warming and improve air quality.

As climate change worsens, countries are paying more and more attention to reducing methane emissions. Many experts argue that methane emissions can be reduced by changing agricultural practices, improving energy efficiency and improving waste management. Agriculture is one of the main sources of methane, especially in the livestock industry, where cattle ruminant behavior releases large amounts of methane.

Not only on the ground, methane is also found in deep sea and underground sediments, where it is produced during the degradation of organic matter. In addition, methane can also come from anaerobic digestion or biomass conversion processes, so improving the efficiency of these processes can also help reduce emissions.

Of the approximately 5.8 million metric tons of methane emissions globally each year, the ocean, agriculture and energy industries are major contributors.

Methane’s impact on global warming goes without saying. From the perspective of short-term climate benefits, methane has become a research hotspot. As the global call for sustainable development continues to rise, many countries and regions are beginning to formulate emission reduction policies. These policies focus on reducing methane emissions while also hoping to improve local air quality and improve people's health.

Methane emissions and management issues are not limited to environmental issues, but are also economic and social issues. Many industrial sectors, such as the oil and gas industry, release methane during extraction and transportation, so strengthening regulatory standards is critical. However, the cost of improving these technologies must be balanced between environmental benefits and affordability.

In exploring methane emission reduction technologies, scientists have discovered many new methods and technologies, such as catalysts that improve methane combustion efficiency, converting methane into other chemicals, or using methane to supply hydrogen. These potentially sustainable technologies promise to change the way we think about methane in the coming decades.

Efficient capture and utilization of methane will become one of the keys to combating climate change.

The challenges of methane storage and use are not simple. As the impact of global warming becomes more and more apparent, how to manage methane emissions more effectively will become an issue that cannot be ignored in future environmental protection policies. We must think about how we can meet the needs of economic development while protecting the environment. Is this a question worth pondering?

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